ECSR Conclusions focus on protecting children against corporal punishment

22.03.12
- In January 2012, the European Committee of Social Rights published
its conclusions on the 2011 examination of states under the European Social
Charter and the Revised Social Charter, which included a focus on protection
of children from corporal punishment in the family. The Committee has
previously established that conformity with the Charters requires
prohibition of all corporal punishment, including in the home. While noting
that many states had achieved the necessary law reform since they were last
examined on the issue – currently 22 of the 47 Council of Europe member
states have enacted laws prohibiting all corporal punishment – the Committee
found that many had not done so. For these states, the Committee concluded
that they are not in conformity with the Charter or Revised Charter because
corporal punishment is not prohibited in all settings: Andorra, Armenia,
Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Ireland, Lithuania,
Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”,
Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The conclusions in full are available
here.